Forza Motorsport 4 review

Gran Turismo 5's 2.0 patch (a hefty 1GB update) is finely-tuned to bring added life to a misfiring racer, but it's Forza Motorsport 4 that leaves us with the sense that we've just experienced the 'real driving simulator'.

Whether it's in admiring the piercing headlights and curvaceous body of the Italia 458 in Autovista (strangely mesmerising), choosing to go mano-a-mano in Rivals, re-instating pride for your loyal Club in multiplayer or getting behind the wheel, Kinect in-tow, for some nerve-shattering, bumper-to-bumper, old-fashioned racing; Forza 4 is, quite simply, the full racing package.

After one of the best ads for a video game we've seen, it's good to see an exhaustive and significantly improved Career mode – no longer tainted by early adoption of a V8, rather a smooth rise through the ranks – and smart use of the Top Gear licence only serves to add extra oomph to the ferocious roar coming from Forza 4's engine. Still, generous lashings of added features can all seem perfunctory if the racing isn't up to scratch, and it doesn't disappoint. It's obvious that Turn 10 has invested heavily in its AI development - with opponents making all too unfamiliar mistakes when the pressure rises – and in the visuals department, with every inch of carbon fibre gleaming from all angles. Our racing safe haven has arrived. 9

Compare Forza 4 and GT5 below.